Okama, gay boys, blue boys, anime 'boys': transgenderism and homosexuality in Japan

Fire Emblem/ Nathan Seymour in his Hero suit

The past week (12-19 November) was Transgender Awareness Week, so I thought of bringing up some thoughts I had concerning how gender dysphoria and transgenderism seem to be often confused with homosexuality in Japan, especially in the media. Also, digging up internetic files can shed light to the aforementioned phenomenon, and I'm here to share the information with you.

Since Tiger & Bunny is a fresh 'hit' and its audience wasn't primarily children, Fire Emblem can be used as a good example of what I'm going to make a point of.

Queers and the complicated reality

Look carefully at this picture. Focus on  the rainbow. Can you really tell where each color starts and ends? No, because rainbow is a spectrum of colors. And that's exactly where the problem with the pride flag lies. Its colors aren't gradient. I believe that this fact reflects certain solid ideas within the lgbtq community. Although the colors of the flag stand for ideals and not labels, and reasons of convenience might play a major role in the final creation-symbol (namely the flag), I think that when someone produces 'art', the subconscious always gets involved. In this case, it represents a denial in complexity and fluidity of identities ...

Warning: A comic follows whose last two panels are NSFW.

Lesbians, inspiration and work ethics

Each work one does has a purpose. Some works were made to be bring profits. Others to earn and build reputation. But there are projects that were thought of, and made for, the satisfaction of passions. This is the sort of a case I am going to present in this article, and it is perhaps my dearest story evolving around one of my projects and what, thanks to a sweet young couple, I found out about work.

IDAHO- Because a 'deviant' sexual orientation isn't a disease

For those who don't know what day is today and what make it a special one: IDAHO stands for International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. Just like today, on May 17th 1990, homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases of World Health Organization.

This blog supports the rights of all people to love and a healthy sexual life. Because we've experienced bullying for one reason or another. Because we know the agony and struggles of not being accepted by people that play a major role in our lives. Because we want to see this world change for the better.

straight or gay, cisgender or transgender love is love

To commemorate this day we share with you personal stories, our opinion on some articles and our thoughts. Acceptance of yourself and the others is a journey. Let your mind open up!

Lingerie: Weapons of Seduction or Performing Sex

“E-X-P-R-E-S-S
Love, sex, ladies, no regrets […]
I love to make the people stare
They know I have that certain savoir-faire”
 - Christina Aguilera, EXPRESS

Lingerie is art: they’re beautiful and although not necessary for survival, they add that special flare and taste to life and their wearer. Lingerie is a weapon: powerfully unleashing sensuality, signifying sexual mood and rocking your lover’s world.

Have I got your attention?

PRAY THE HATE AWAY!

 

Millions of Americans wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying. Spirit Day was started in 2010 by teenager Brittany McMillan as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. Observed annually on October 20, individuals, schools, organizations, corporations, media professionals and celebrities wear purple, which symbolizes spirit on the rainbow flag. Getting involved is easy -- participants are asked to simply "go purple" on October 20 as we work to create a world in which LGBT teens are celebrated and accepted for who they are. ~ glaad

American or not, let's wear purple today and show support.

Pleasure is good but safety is better

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Hourou Musuko- 9. Cool girlfriend ~ Green eye

In the mirror: Takatsuki's girls' uniform she left behind.

I am not sure if the 'cool girlfriend' applies to Anna, because we don't get much of her this episode, but the green eye applies easily to many of the characters of Hourou Musuko for this episode. We have Takatsuki that crossdresses finally at school and the teacher sees this action mostly as jealousy towards Sarashina; then we have Doi who visits Yuki and seems kinda jealous of a guy that can look that beautiful (there are other feelings there, too) and so urges Nitorin who wants to crossdress, as well. Oh, I almost forgot Maho who is surely jealous about how her brother not only looks like her,but people find him so cute, that he gets attention.

Now that I'm thinking about it... if girlfriend is meant as a female friend, than this title applies firstly to Chiba, who is a good counselor to both Takatsuki and Nitorin in subtle ways, and then to the quirky Sarashina, who takes a bit of her time off job to talk with Nitorin about crossdressing.

The hot spot of this episode: the different reactions towards Takatsuki and Nitorin crossdressing due to their sex.  

Hourou Musuko - 8. Spring ~ Brand new me

After episode 6, a new arc begins that puts in focus the relationship of Nitorin with Anna and the one of Chiba with Takatsuki. The storyline evolves really smoothly, adding details each episode that complement what we already know. In episode 8 things start to move faster: it's a new school year, the group is separated in different classes, they share typical discussions about which class they are in, with whom, how is their teacher. With the new school year start Takatsuki's feelings for crossdressing re-emerge. Nitorin is going out with Anna (though their relationship can't really be defined as romantic, at least from Anna's part) and he really enjoys shopping with her. His desire to wear pretty clothes again are barely held back only by the fact he's in relationship.

Nitorin and Takatsuki remain distant. On the contrary, Takatsuki and Chiba have become pretty close again, at the point that Takatsuki grows her hair back, influenced by Chiba's request. Those four meet by chance and get better acquainted. With Chiba-san with them an almost quarrel errupted. In the end, things went quite well. The only ominent event is the reappearance of a former classmate of Nitorin from primary school, Doi. Doi had bullied him and now sits in front of him in the class. Soon, he seeks to get involved with Nitorin once more, with the motive of getting to know Yuki, the 'hot chick' he saw with Nitorin one day.

Hourou Musuko- 7. Rosy cheeks~ Growing pains

Growing pains refer of course to both Nitorin's acne problems but mostly to the troubles a love relationship can bring to the people involved and their friends.

Hourou Musuko- 6. Cultural Festival ~ Dream of a butterfly

I'm back! Exams ended back in June but there's much going on still now, searching for a job, studying for a public exam... and my laziness. I'm going to blog to episode 9 for the time being, since later in the summer and early fall the last dvd volumes of the series will be out with bonus stuff and episode 10 and 11 seperate and whole, unlike the way they got aired (due to noitama slot's restrictions).

As the title says, we finally get the festival day. The episode can somehow be split into 3 parts: pre-play (the preparations of last moment before going on-stage), play and after-play (comments from friends and family members to our little actors). And since the main actors are Chiba as Romeo and Makoto as Juliet, the episode centers around their feelings and reactions.

Hourou Musuko- 5. Long, long shadow

End of summer and they are gathered to finish the play script. Momo here is yelling at Saori.

Episode 5 revolves around the preparations of the upcoming festival and the interactions between the cast. Saori is sour as always, trying to cause troubles at first, then accepting the situation. Fumiya is introduced, Saori's friend, that causes quite a fuss by being reckless and indiscrete, and Chi is way too curious and nosy without understanding that she makes people uncomfortable. Maho can be cute and rude. And Anna has looks but... I wouldn't say she's the epitome of a good-hearted person... As for Nitorin and Takatsuki they go on being good friends and protecting each other. The same goes for Nitorin and Makoto.

Hourou Musuko- 4. I'll give you my name

First time in a 'special' shop for queers

Episode 5 is mostly about Nitorin's and Takatsuki's first visit to a shop where transgendered people can buy, about them 'exchanging' names and about Chiba's questions and nerves.

Hourou Musuko- 3. Romeo and Juliet

Violet (purple hues) seem to be Nitori's colour... after all it's a mix of blue (see boys) and red/pink (see girls). Do you also remember that in the 1rst episode violet was the flower assigned to him? Violet stands for 'I'll always be true', faithfullness and modesty... let's see if he's gonna be true to himself...

Pink might be a girlish colour but my thoughts on it revolved around how we get it from the red (strength, determination, passion) with lots of white... White is a colour reflecting all the others, so someone could say it's like a mirror. Takatsuki wavers in her determination to 'be' a boy and in the end she gaves in a bit... more inside

Back to the themes of episode one, though more elaborated. Here problems start occuring; problems with their body : deepening voice and growing breasts for Nitori and Takatsuki respectively. They have to confront the changes and accept them...

Hourou Musuko- 2. Cry Baby, Cry (Hate, Hate, Dispise)

No, this episode isn't about Sasa. Sasa works as link between Chiba and Takatsuki and as a plot element

This episodes centers around one stubborn, rude and arrogant girl...

Hourou Musuko-1. Roses are red, violets are blue

the trap promotion poster

the protagonists and their school friends

In a nutshell: The story depicts a young boy named Shūichi Nitori who wants to be a girl, and his friend Yoshino Takatsuki, a girl who wants to be a boy. From the mangaka who also gave us Aoi Hana.

Wandering Son was selected as a recommended work by the awards jury of the 10nth Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006.

Believe me, I don't know about the manga, but just by watching the first episode, this series is going to be one of the best anime ever!

"Innocence lost" or talking about a fallacy?

Impurity by yuumei on deviantart

Some ideals and concepts are so deep engraved on our brain from an early age, that many times we fail to see what's in front of us. Take the above picture for example: When I saw the stunningly white dress the girl wore, I immediately linked it with virginity and the blood with the loss of it. The title also was connected in a similar way to my thoughts. Well, after reading the description of the creator, the idea she wanted to put across was something totally different. It had to do with the beauty of the dress and the ugliness of the crime commited to obtain it (the murder of the swan).

Yet what was it that lead me to such conclusions? Most probably my upbringing. That connects purity with virginity as well as the cultural connotations in West associated with these colours. But is it really like the conservatives claim to be? And were there a time when we were pure-hearted? A time of innocence?